LUGANO, Switzerland & BELLINZONA, Switzerland & GARDANNE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gain Therapeutics SA, a biotechnology company discovering and developing novel therapeutics to target lysosomal enzymes involved in inborn errors of metabolism and in central nervous system (CNS) diseases, today announced that together with Dr. Maurizio Molinari from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona (Switzerland) affiliated to the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) and Neuro-Sys SAS in Gardanne (France), it has received funding support from Eurostars-2 joint programme with co-funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and Innosuisse – Swiss Innovation Agency.
This grant will further strengthen Gain Therapeutics’s novel therapeutic approach for targeting rare diseases in the CNS, where lysosomal misfolded enzymes lead to sever clinical phenotypes, where no treatment is available and/or high unmet medical needs still do afflict patients, families and carers. This funding will support the development of the drugs portfolio of Gain Therapeutics for the treatment of Gaucher Disease, GM1 Gangliosidosis and Parkinson’s Disease.
“We are proud of the Eurostars-2 grant notification, where Gain Therapeutics’ platform technology for identifying structurally targeted allosteric regulators has been very positively evaluated due to: clear unmet medical needs (and namely orphan, rare and defined diseases with a strong neurological need still unmet); novel platform technology developing brain penetrant small molecules able to restore misfolded lysosomal enzyme; a clearly defined path into a significant market; a balanced yet ambitious project with a strong IP estate,” said Dr. Manolo Bellotto, General Manager of Gain Therapeutics SA.
“The excellent ranking of our consortium as 2nd best among over 325 eligible consortia from all over Europe is also a rewarding recognition for our long-standing activity in the field of rare diseases. The transnational collaboration with Gain Therapeutics and Neuro-Sys will hopefully offer the opportunity to translate into the clinics, the research activity performed at the IRB and aiming at understanding how perturbations in protein folding may cause severe diseases” said Dr. Maurizio Molinari, Group leader at the IRB, Bellinzona and Adjunct Professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).
“The innovative scientific approach of the project has strongly motivated us to get involved. The remarkable ranking at European level clearly demonstrates Europe's interest in developing innovative cures for orphan indications. The collaboration with Gain Therapeutics and IRB on this ambitious project is a great opportunity to develop innovative platforms and to get a better understanding of the mechanisms of these rare diseases.” said Dr. Noelle Callizot, CSO and General Manager of Neuro-Sys SAS.
About Gain Therapeutics SA
Gain Therapeutics SA is a Swiss biotech company specializing in the discovery of new drugs for rare and CNS diseases. The company targets lysosomal enzymes to develop innovative drugs for rare pediatric genetic disorders and selected CNS diseases with high unmet medical needs. Gain Therapeutics SA is developing a new class of compounds: structurally targeted allosteric regulators, identified through its pioneering proprietary platform – SEE-Tx.
https://www.gaintherapeutics.com/
About Institute for Research in Biomedicine
Founded in 2000 in Bellinzona, the IRB is affiliated with the Università della Svizzera italiana, since 2010. IRB hosts 13 research groups studying defense mechanisms to fight infections, tumors and degenerative diseases. With more than 630 publications in main scientific journals, the IRB has gained international recognition as a center of excellence for immunology and cell biology. Molinari’s laboratory investigates the protein quality control processes determining whether a polypeptide should be secreted, retained in the ER, or selected for degradation. Particular emphasis is given to the study of select rare diseases such as α1-antitrypsin deficiency, LSDs and Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1B neuropathy.
About Neuro-Sys
Neuro-Sys is expert in preclinical in vitro models of neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. It has developed specific models to accurately determine the pharmacological profiling of lead compounds and explore their underlying mechanism of action and to determine the therapeutic indication. With a great team of experts in pharmacology and drug development and an innovative proprietary automated medium throughput platform combined with advanced models, it provides predictable results and a unique approach in the neurodegenerative diseases research. The company’s many loyal pharma and biotech customers around the world are the best testimony to the efficiency and reliability of its solution.
